Ashtray with electrically operated alarm device



Sept. 14, 1965 c. M. DAI-n.

ASHTRAY WITH ELECTRICALLY OPERATED ALARM DEVICE Filed April 24. 1953 ALA/2M DE WCE-a2 Arroz/Veys.

United States Patent 3,205,960 ASHTRAY WlTH ELECIRlCALLY OPERATED ALARM DEVICE Calvin M. Dahl, Z537 Burr (lak Ave., Blue Island, Ill. Filed Apr. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 275,408 7 Claims. (Cl. 131-233) The present invention relates to ashtrays, and, more particularly, to ashtrays of the type provided with facilities for audibiy indicating when a cigarette should be snuffed out.

Certain arrangements heretofore proposed have provided a spring wound motor arrangement for producing visual and audible effects which would call attention to a burning cigarette on the ashtray when it has reached the point where it should be extinguished.' In such arrangements, the spring wound motor is controlled by a mechanical linkage which in turn is actuated by a bimetallic element which is heated as the cigarette becomes shorter. This mechanical linkage arrangement is suitable for only one cigarette, has been found to be extremely slow in operation and, in many instances, is faulty due to the fact that there is very little power available in the bimetallic element to actuate a mechanical linkage. Furthermore, the conventional manner of stopping and starting the spring wound motor is to provide as a part of the mechanical linkage a member which is moved into the path of a vane type governor normally employed to control the speed of a Ispring wound motor and as this member is being removed from or placed in the path of the vane an annoying series of clicks is produced as the vanes strikes this member since its movement is relatively slow. In addition, the mechanical linkage arrangement involves a number of mechanical parts which are expensive to manufacture and assemble.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an ashtray with an automatically operated alarm device which obviates one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art arrangements described above.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ashtray with an electrically operated alarm device for providing an audible signal when any one of a number of cigarettes has burned down to a point at which it should be extinguished.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ashtray having an electrically operated alarm device wherein the alarm device itself and all control parts thereof are positioned within a totally enclosed housing while providing a bottom opening recess in the ashtray adapted to receive a battery so that batteries may be readily replaced without requiring further servicing operations.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved ashtray having an electrically loperated alarm device wherein bimetal strips may be actuated by any one of a number of cigarettes positioned in troughs around the edge of the ashtray and any one of these bimetal strips is arranged to actuate an electric motor which drives an audible signal generating device so that an audible signal is generated indicating that the cigarette should be snuifed out.

Briefly, in accordance with the present invention the ashtray is provided with upper and lower thin-wall members, the upper member being formed to receive an ash receiving bowl and a plurality of ash receiving troughs communicating with said bowl. The upper member is also provided with means defining apertures therein located at the bottom of said trough and adjacent said bowl. The lower member is formed to provide a concave, generally cylindrical portion in the bottom surface thereof which defines a bottom opening battery-receiving recess and this concave portion is provided with an up- Fraice wardly extending flange. A plurality of bimetallic elements are supported on said flange and extend upwardly therefrom and means are provided for connecting the upper and lower members togethers to provide a substantially enclosed chamber containing said bimetallic elements with a portion of each element extending through one of said apertures in the upper member. An electric motor and audible signal generating device driven thereby are disposed within the chamber and means are provided responsive to heating of the upper portion of either bimetallic element for establishing an electri-cal circuit between a battery positioned in said recess and said motor, thereby to cause the device to generate an audible signal when the cigarette has reached the point at which it should be extinguished.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an ashtray embodying the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. l and includes the electric driving motor of the alarm arrangement of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FlG, 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the lines 4 4 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the ashtray embodying the features of the present invention is therein illustrated as comprlsing an upper member indicated generally at l0 and a lower member generally indicated at lll, the members i@ and il being adapted to be connected together at the joint I2 so as to provide a substantially totally enclosed chamber I3. Preferably the lower member 11 comprises a cylindrical wall portion 14 provided with a plurality of vertically extending reinforcing ribs l5 on the inner surface thereof, the ribs l5 forming shoulders 16 for registering a separable bottom member 17 with the side wall member 14. All of the components to be described hereinafter whi-ch comprise the electrically operated alarm device of the present invention are mounted on the bottom member 17 and this member may be removably secured in position against the shoulders 16 by any suitable means such as adhesive, screws, or the like.

The upper member 10 is arranged to be formed by any suitable molding operation and comprises a thinwall plastic member 20 which is provided with an ash receiving bowl 21 and a pair of cigarette receiving troughs 22 and 23 which communicate with the bowl 21 and on which a lighted cigarette may be placed. The troughs 22, 23 are provided respectively with apertures 24, 25 located at the bottom of the trough and adjacent the ash receiving bowl 2l.

In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, all of the components of the electrically operated alarm device are provided on .the bottom member l1 and are arranged so that a bimetallic sensing element is positioned within each of the apertures 24 and 25 when the upper and lower members are intertted to provide the finished ashtray. More particularly, the bottom member 11 is providedr with a concave, generally cylindrical portion 30 in the bottom surface thereof which defines a bottom opening battery-receiving recess 31 accessible from the exterior of the completed ashtray. The concave portion 30 comprises a pair of end walls 32 and 33 and a semi-cylindrical portion 34 which cooperate to define the bottom opening battery-receiving recess 31, a pair of slots 36 and 37 being provided at the ends of the portion 34 adjacent the end walls 32 and 33 which are adapted to receive the arms 38 and 39 of a pair of o: U-shaped battery clips 40 and 41. In order to secure the clips 4() and 41 within the slots 36, 37, a pair of Wedge-shaped slots 45, 46 are provided in the end Walls 32 and 33, respectively, as best illustrated in FIG. 4, which are adapted to receive the arms 38 and 39 of the battery clips 40 and 41. Furthermore, the extremities 42, 43 of these arms are bent over so that the clips are retained within the slots 45, 46 and these extremities act as terminal connection points for the clips 40, 41. The other arms 50 and 51 of the battery clips are thus free to flex and hence hold the battery 53 securely within the recess 31 as best illustrated in FIG. 3.

In order to provide a simple mounting arrangement for the bimetallic elements, an upstanding flange 60 is molded along the top of the cylindrical portion 34 and the flange 60 is provided with a pair of vertically extending guide slots 61 and 62 at the ends thereof. A pair of generally U-shaped bimetallic sensing elements indicated generally at 63 and 64 are mounted on the ilange 60 in such manner that the bight portions 65, 66 of these U-shaped elements are positioned within the apertures 24, 25 formed in the bottom of the cigarette receiving troughs 22 and 23. More particularly, one arm 68 of the bimetallic element 63 is secured within the groove 62 by any suitable means, such as the rivet 69, and one arm '70 of the element 64 is secured within the guiding groove 61 by means of the rivet 71. The free arm portions of the bimetallic elements, such as the free arm 72 of the element 63 (FIG. 2) is provided with a dimpled contact area 73 which is adapted to establish electrical connection to one of a pair of contact members 74 which are mounted on the flange 60 on the opposite side thereof from the rivet '71.

In accordance with the present invention the alarm device contained within the enclosed chamber 13 comprises a small electric motor indicated generally at 80, which is adapted to be energized from a single battery cell of conventional voltage such as 1.5 volts, the motor 80 being connected through suitable gearing 81 (FIG. 1) to an alarm device 82, The alarm device 82 is arranged to generate an audible signal in response to energization of the motor 80 and may comprise a mechanically driven music box or any other suitable form of audible signal generating apparatus. One lead wire 85 of the motor 80 is connected to the end portion 43 of the battery clip 41 and the other lead wire 86 of the motor 80 is connected to both of the bimetallic element arms 68 and 70 and is secured thereto under the heads of the rivets 69 and 71. Both of the contact elements 74 are connected together and to the arm portion 42 of the other battery clip 40 through the lead wire 87.

When a battery is inserted in the recess 31 an electrical circuit may be established between the battery 53 and the motor 80 through either one of the bimetallic elements 63 or 64. More particularly, when a cigarette is placed in one of the troughs 22, 23 and burns down sufficiently to place the hot tip thereof adjacent the bight portion 66 of the bimetallic element63, this element heats up and the free arm 72 thereof ilexes inwardly so as to connect the portion '73 thereof with the contact 74. An electric circuit is then established from the battery 53 to the motor 80 so that the alarm device 82 is actuated and an audible signal is generated which informs anyone within earshot that the cigarette has burned to a point at which it should be removed and snuffed out. Obviously, if the cigarette is permitted to continue to burn it will burn back a suicient distance that the cigarette will topple off the trough 22 and may cause an undesirable burn on the supporting table or may even cause the object on which it strikes to catch lire.

It will be noted that the troughs 22 and 23 are each of substantial length so that the cigarette user is afforded an adequate length of time after the alarm device S2 is energized'in which to attend to the snullng out of the cigarette before it will reach the point at which it will topple olf the ashtray. In this connection, it will be understood that more than two cigarette troughs may be provided each with its own bimetallic sensing element, and any one of these elements may energize the motor S0 to provide .the desired audible signal.

It will also be noted that as .the cigarette continues to burn back of the bight portion 66 of the bimetallic element 63, the element yremains in a heated condition due to the transmission of heat through the plastic of the trough 22 so that the alarm signal continues to be emitted until the cigarette is removed, whereupon the plastic readily cools off due to the thin-wall construction thereof so that the alarm signal is terminated. It will also be noted that due to the U-sha-ped construction of the bimetallic elements 63 and v64 and the length of the arm portions thereof, an extremely quick-acting, sensitive device is provided wherein the contacts are closed and the .alarm signal initiated as soon as the hot tip of the cigarette heats the localized area in the bight portion 66 of t-he element. Correspondingly, as soon as the heated tip of the cigarette is removed the bimetallic element 63 cools olf and opens the circuit so that the alarm device is deenergized.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since many modifications maybe made, and it is, therefore, contemplated by the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An ashtray comprising upper and lower members of lthin-wall plastic material, said upper member being formed t-o provide an ash receiving bowl and at least one #cigarette receiving trough communicating with said bowl, means dehning an aperture in said upper member located at the bottom of said trough and adjacent said bowl, said lower member being formed to provide a concave generally cylindrical portion in the bottom surface thereof defining a battery receiving recess therein, an upwardly extending ilange formed on said concave portion, at least one bimetallic element supported on said ilange and extending upwardly therefrom, means for interltting said lower and upper members to provide a substantially enclosed chamber containing said bimetallic element with a portion thereof extending through said aperture, an electric motor, an audible signal generating dev-ice driven by said motor, bot-h said motor and said device being disposed within said chamber, and means responsive to heating of said portion of said bimetallic element by the lit end of a cigarette for establishing an electrical circuit between a battery positioned in said recess and said motor, thereby to cause said device to gener-ate an audible signal.

2` An ashtray comprising upper and lower thin-wall members, said upper member being formed to provide an ash receiving bowl and a pair of cigarette receiving troughs communicating with said bowl, means defining apertures in said upper member located at the bottom of said troughs and adjacent said bowl, said lower member being formed to provide a concave generally cylindrical pori tion in the bottom surface thereof defining a bottom opening battery-receiving recess therein, an upwardly extending ilange for-med on said concave portion of said lower member, a pair of bimetallic elements `supported on said lilange and extending upwardly therefrom, means for co-nnecting said upper and lower members together to provide a substantially enclosed chamber containing said bimetallic elements with a portion of each element extending through one of said apertures, an electric motor, an audible signal genera-ting device driven by said motor, both said motor and said device being disposed within said chamber, and means responsive to heating of said portion of either of said bimetallic elements by t-he lit end of a cigarette for establishing an electrical circuit between a .5 battery positioned in said recess and said motor, thereby to cause said device to generate an audible signa-l.

3. An ashtray comprising upper and lower thin-wall members, said upper member being formed to provide an ash receiving bowl and a pair of cigarette receiving troughs communicating with said bowl, means defining Iapertures in said upper member located at the bottom of said troughs Iand adjacent said bowl, said lower member being formed to Aprovide a concave generally cylindrical portion in the bottom surface thereof defining a bottom opening battery-receiving recess therein, an upwardly extending flange formed on said Vconcave portion of said lower member, a p-air of U-shaped bimetallic elements,

,one arm of each of said elements being supported on said ilange so that the 'bight portions of said elements are positioned above the top edge of said flange, a pair of contacts positioned on said flange adjacent the other arms of said elements and adapted to make contact therewith when the bight portions thereof are heated by the lit end of a cigarette, means for connecting said upper and lower members together to provide a -substantially enclosed chamber containing s-aid bimetallic elements with the bight portions thereof extending through said apertures, an elecrtric mot-or, an audible signal generating device driven by said motor, both said motor and said device being disposed within said chamber, and means responsive to connection of either of said contacts with the corresponding )arm of one of said elements for establishing an electrical circuit between a battery positioned in said recess and said motor thereby to cause said device to generate an audible signal.

4. An ashtray comprising upper and lower thin-wall members, said upper member being formed to provide an ashreceiving bowl .and a pair of cigarette receiving troughs communicating with said bowl, means defining apertures in said upper member located at the bottom of said troughs and adjacent said bowl, said lower member being formed to provide a concave generally cylindrical portion in the bottom surface thereof defining a bottom opening battery-receiving recess therein, an upwardly extending flange formed on said concave portion of said lower member, a pair of U-shaped bimetallic elements, one arm of each of said elements being supported on said flange so that the bight portions of said elements are positioned above the top edge of said flange and the other .arm of each element is free lto move when said bight portion of the element is heated, a pair of contacts positioned on said flange adjacent the free arms of said elements and adapted to make contact therewith when the bight portions thereof rare heated by the lit end of a cigarette, means for connecting said upper and lower members together to provide a substantially enclosed chamber containing said bimetallic elements with the bight portions thereof extending through said apertures, an electric motor, an audible signal generating device driven by said motor, both said motor and said device being disposed within said chamber, and means responsive to connection of either of said contacts with the corresponding free arm of one of said elements for establishing an electrical circuit between a battery positioned in said recess and said motor, thereby to cause said device to generate an audible signal.

P 5. An ashtray comprising upper and lower thin-wall members, said upper member being formed .to provide an ash receiving bowl and a pair of cigarette receiving troughs communicating with said bowl, means defining apertures in said upper member located at the bottom of said troughs and adjacent said bowl, said lower member being formed .to provide a concave generally cylindrical portion in the bottom surface thereof defining a bottom opening battery-receiving recess therein, means including .a pair of clip members mounted in the end walls of said concave portion for securing a battery within said recess and establishing electrical connection thereto, an upwardly extending flange formed on said concave portion of said lower member, a pair of bimetallic elements supported on said flange and extending upwardly therefrom, means for connecting said upper and lower members together to provide a substantially enclosed chamber containing said bimetallic elements with a portion of each element extending through one of said apertures, an electric motor, an audible signal generating device driven by said motor, both said motor and said device being dis- -posed within said chamber, and means including said clip members and responsive to heating of said portion of either of said bimetallic elements by the lit end of a cigarette for establishing an electrical circuit between a battery positioned in said recess and said motor, thereby to cause said device to generate an audible signal.

6. An ashtray comprising upper .and lower thin-wall mem-bers, said upper member being formed to provide an ash receiving bowl .and a pair of cigarette receiving troughs communicating with said bowl, means defining apertures in said lupper member located at the bottom of said troughs and .adjacent said bowl, said lower member being formed to provide a concave generally cylindrical portion in the bottom surface thereof defining a bottom opening batteryereceiving recess therein, means including a pair of clip members mounted in the end walls of said concave portion for securing a battery within said recess and establishing electrical connection thereto, an upwardly extending fiange formed on said concave portion of said lower member, a pair of U-shaped bimetallic elements, one arm of each of said elements being supported on said flange so that the bight portions of said elements are positioned above lthe t-op edge of said flange, -a pair of contacts positioned on said liange adjacent the other arms of said elements and adapted to make contact therewith -when the bight portions thereof are heated by the lit end of a cigarette, means for connecting said upper and lower members together to provi-de a su stantially enclosed chamber containing said bimetallic elements with the bight .portions thereof extending through said apertures, an electric motor having a pair of terminals, an audible signal generating device driven by said motor, both said motor and said device being disposed within said chamber, means connecting said one arm of said bimetallic elements to one terminal of said motor, means connecting said contacts to one of said clip members, :and means connecting the other one of said clip members to the -other terminal of said motor, whereby upon heating of the bight portion of either of said bimetallic elements by the l-it end of a cigarette in one of said troughs an electrical connection is established between a battery positioned in sai-d recess Iand said motor, thereby to cause said device to generate an audible signal.

7. An ashtray comprising upper and lower 4thin-wall members, said upper member being formed to provide an ash receiving bowl and a pair of cigarette receiving troughs communicating with said bowl, means defining apertures in said upper member located at the bottom of said troughs and adjacent said bowl, said lower member being formed to provide a concave generally cylindrical portion in the bottom surface thereof defining a bottom opening battery-receiving recess therein, an upwardly extending flange formed on said concave portion of said lower member, :a pair of U-shaped bimetallic elements, means defining a pair of vertically extending grooves in said flange at opposite ends thereof, one arm of each of said elements being secured within one of said grooves so that the bight portions of said elements are positioned in predetermined relation to the top edge of said flange, a pair of contacts positioned on said flange adjacent the other arms of said elements and adapted to make contact therewith when the bight portions thereof are heated by the lit end of a cigarette, means for connecting said upper and lower members together to provide a substan- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,7 52,1877 7/ 5 6 Starkenberg 13 1--240 2,95 4,5 48 9/ 60 Gould 340--283 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,041,933 10/ 53 France.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Exammar.

0 JosEPH s. RE1oH,Exammar. 

1. AN ASHTRAY COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER MEMBERS OF THIN-WALLED PLASTIC MATERIAL, SAID UPPER MEMBERS BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE AN ASH RECEIVING BOWL AND AT LEAST ONE CIGARETTE RECEIVING TROUGH COMMUNICATING WITH SAID BOWL, MEANS DEFINING AN APERTURE IN SAID UPPER MEMBER LOCKED AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID TROUGH AND ADJACENT SAID BOWL, SAID LOWER MEMBER BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE A CONCAVE GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION IN THE BOTTOM SURFACE THEREOF DIFINING A BATTERY RECEIVING RECESS THEREIN, AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE FORMED ON SAID CONCAVE PORTION, AT LEAST ONE BIMETALLIC ELEMENT SUPPORTED ON SAID FLANGE AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, MEANS FOR INTERFITTING SAID LOWER AND UPPER MEMBERS TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIALLY EN- 